In development since 2009, announced officially at CES in early 2011, went through three different previews (Developer, Consumer and Release) and recently announced to be code complete, the final, code-complete, release to manufacturing version of Windows 8 is finally available to TechNet and MSDN subscribers. Check out the details after the jump.
With everything that is currently going on in the technology industry, it sometimes gets quite difficult to keep all of the announcements in memory and remember what hardware or software is going to be introduced to the marketplace. With the iPhone and iOS 6, the Nexus 7, the chatter surrounding Windows 8 and more recently; the imminent launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note II, I had actually totally forgotten about the impromptu media event where Microsoft introduced us to their Surface tablet. When Apple announces an iPad, it is pretty much available immediately. When Google announced the Nexus 7, it was available for immediate pre-order and was dispatched a couple of weeks later. Microsoft announced the Surface and then, well, nothing happened.
Windows RT - based on Windows 8 - is the first desktop operating from Microsoft that has been developed from the ground up for touch-screen devices i.e. tablets. It replaces the traditional desktop interface in favor of a Windows Phone-like start screen, made for touch-input apps, a Windows Store for downloading them, multi-touch gestures and more! With Windows RT and OEMs like Samsung, ASUS, Lenovo, HP etc., Microsoft aims to directly compete with Apple’s iPad in the tablet market.
Such is the manner in which technology moves nowadays, no sooner is one major release out of the way, do consumers, analysts and enthusiasts in general begin nattering about what's up next. Windows 8 has been in our faces for the entire year, after Microsoft dropped the Developer Preview to the public in an unprecedented move, but despite not releasing for another two-and-a-half months, the successor to Windows 8 has already got chins wagging.
Over the years, the eBay online marketplace has proved to be the home of some pretty obscure and often bizarre things which have been snapped up by users all over the world at some pretty insane prices. Although, any seasoned eBay member will more than likely be used to coming across something a little out of the ordinary, it's often the high-end of rather unique technology listings that tickle our fancy. One of those items came only last week with a member attempting to sell an original and unboxed original iPhone for $10,000, and now we have seen an Xbox Durango development kit shift for a cool $20,100.
Microsoft's Kinect peripheral, which allowed the kind of interactivity with its Xbox 360 console only previously seen in the Nintendo Wii, went down a storm with consumers, becoming the fastest-selling gadget of all time when it launched back in 2010. Like all good new tech releases, it's hard to believe the Kinect motion sensor hasn't even reached the two year mark yet, and talk of its successor has been fairly prevalent for the past couple of months now.
Microsoft opened up registrations for the BUILD 2012 conference, and with tickets selling like lemon-topped hotcakes, it’s rather surprising to see that the whole conference sold out in a matter of few minutes, at the time of writing.
Part of the Windows Essentials Pack, Windows Photo Gallery and Windows Movie Maker are two of the most popular pieces of software for basic photo and video editing (respectively). They improved significantly over the past few years, and now Microsoft has introduced major new features to both. Check them out after the jump.
The Microsoft Surface is the company's first delve into the increasingly popular tablet market, and it's fair to say the Redmond outfit has a fair bit of catching up to do. The iPad has been retailing for two-and-a-half years, and although Android tablets haven't managed to make as much of an impression on consumers, the companies behind them are now seeming to push forth some genuine contenders to the Cupertino company's dominant slate.
As minor a detail as it may seem, it'll be the packaging you see at every electronics store for the next 3-4 years, and images of the retail Windows 8 packaging have leaked into the wild courtesy of TheVerge. In-keeping with the general theme of the operating system as a whole, the boxing of Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro both have a clear reference to the Metro interface, with the Pro edition coming in a charcoal gray color contrasting the whiteness of the standard edition.
